Box-fastener



UNITED. STATES BOX-,FASTE-N ER.

SPEGIFICAILON formingpart of Letters Patent No. 689,205, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed September 12, 1901. Berial No. 75,223. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, NATHANIEL B. LEAMAN, a citizen of the United States,residingat Lititz, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pen nsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Box-Lid Fasteners, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention relates to boxes, and more especially to a lid-fastener therefor, and has for its object to provide simple and eificient means of this character whereby the lid can be securely held closed no matter how roughly the box may be handled and this without the use of nails or screws, and-the lid may be projections, whereby the lid can be raised.

These projections consist in thepresent case.

of the ends of pins or rods extending across the under side of the lid or cover, the pins or rods serving to stiffen or strengthen the lid or cover.

The invention is clearly represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the box. Fig. 2

' is a similar view of the same with the lid or cover removed. Fig. 3 is an under side view 'of the lid. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the box. Like characters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

It will be understood that I use the term box in its broad sense to include within its scope receptacles of any kind for containing merchandise or other articles, and said box may be made of any suitable material, shape, and size.

The box illustrated is of rectangular form and is constructed of wood, its body being denoted by 5 and the lid by 6, two of the sides NATHANIEL B. LEAMAN, OF LITITZ, PENNSYLVANIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

of the body being made higher than the other two, so as to receive between them the lid, which rests on the shorter sides.

The lid 6 has on its under side, near the opposite ends thereof, the transversely-disposed cleats or' cross-pieces 7, which are a trifle shorter than the width of the cover and the outer faces of which engage the inner faces of the short sides of the box-body to thereby prevent endwise motion of the lid.

A plurality of posts,as 8, (four being shown,) are suitably secured in the box at the corners thereof, and they strengthen thelbox, and their tops are beveled to receivethe correspondingly-beveled ends of the cleats 7.

Between what are shown as the rear posts and the box-body are arranged plates, as 9, the upper ends of which extend above the upper beveled edges of said posts, said extended ends being perforated, as at 9', to receive the rear'ends of the projecting portions of the parallel pins or rods 10. The cleats or cross-pieces 7 are grooved longitudinally to receive these pins or rods, which serve to stiffen the lid or cover and the ends of which project beyond the cleats, the rear projections, as just set forth, being inserted in the holes or perforations in the plates 9. The forward projections of said pins are adapted to engage under the shoulders 12' of the springcatches 12. These spring-catches are situated between the forward posts 8 and the boxbody, the posts being cut away near their up per ends to produce a space in which said springcatches can work back and forth. Said spring-catches are preferably made of light metal, and the shoulders may be formed by bending the metal on itself, and said shoulders have their innerfaces beveled, which may be produced by bending the same at the proper angle relatively to the bodies of the catches.

The under side of the lid; at the inner edge thereof, is recessed, as at 13, to receive the upper ends of the plates 9 when the lid or cover is on.

To apply the lid, the inner projecting ends of the pins or rods 10 will be inserted in the perforations 9, and the forward end of the lid will be lowered until the forward project ing portions of said pins strike the shoulders of the spring-catches'1 2. Then by exerting a slight downward pressure on the box the spring-catches 12 will be sprung out\vard,and

when the forward ends of the pins 10 pass below the beveled shoulders the catches will snap inward and the shoulders 12 will engage ever said forward ends to hold the lid affording ready access to the free ends of the catches 12 for disengaging their shoulders from the forward ends of the pins 10 to raise the cover. When the operation just pointed out has been concluded, the rear ends of the pins 10 can be slipped out of the perforations and the lid thereby wholly disconnected from the body.

To facilitate the action of the pins 10, their opposite ends are sharpened. V

The box, it will be evident, is strong.

moved and when in place is held firmly against removal by rough handling and without the necessity of employing nails, screws, or equivalent fastening devices. Labor and time are thereby saved, and the lid may be put on and taken off as desired without the use of tools and without injuringthe box.

The invention, of course, may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, I claim- 1. In a box, a body, a lid for the body, posts on the body at the corners thereof, plates between the posts at one side of the body and said body, having perforations, spring-catches between the opposite posts and the" body, and projections upon opposite sides of the lid, certain of which are adapted to enter said perfo- Its. lid can be quickly and easily applied and rerations and the remainder of which are enbox, having their ends beveled to correspond with, and to engage, the other beveled portions, pins passing entirely through and beyond said cleats, seats on the body for engaging one end of each pin, and catches on the body for engaging the other ends of said pins.

3. In a box, a body,-a lid for the body, haviug pins extending entirely across the same and permanently connected thereto,means on the body to receive one end of each pin, and spring-catches for engaging the opposite ends of said pins, the lid being notched adjacent to the free ends of the catches to thereby provide ready access tosaid catches.

4. In abox, a body, a lid for the body, posts in the body at the corners thereof, plates between the posts and'the body at one side of the latter and having perforations, springcatches between the opposite posts and the body, cleats upon the under side 'of the lid, and pins extending through the cleats and beyond the opposite ends thereof and one end of each pin being arraugedto enter a perforation in a plate and the opposite ends of said pins being arranged for engagement by said spring-catches.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses,

NATHANIEL B. LEAMAN.

Witnesses:

HIRAM E. STEINMETZ, ISRAEL G. EBB. 

